Then Came After
by Ellixer
Summary: Set directly after the Bitter Suite. A natural progression.


My skin is beginning to form goosebumps as the wind chills my damp clothes. We sit here, side by side in the sand. Silent as we watch the waves roll in and out. I feel drained, but in a good way if that makes any sense. I really don't know how we let ourselves get to the point where we wanted to kill each other. Where our pain was so overwhelming, we took it out on each other. I suppose you hurt those you love the most. And who do I love? When did I lose site of that?

'They're probably searching for us.' Xena finally says. Her hair hanging down in sandy clumps around her shoulders.

'Who?'

'Your Amazons.' Her head turns, eyes crystal clear for the first time.

'I forgot about that.'

'Well I'm sure they think I've killed their queen. ' For some reason she smiles at that.

'Well you nearly did.' For some reason I smile back. We're silent again, our gazes shift back out over the water. Dark clouds are gathering in the distance.

'Storm is coming in.' She says after awhile and reaches her hand out. Without hesitation I grab it, and together we stand.

'What happens now, where do we go from here?' She shifts to stand in front of me, her hands cradle my face. I can't help but to lean my cheek into her touch.

'Whatever you want.' Her voice is a whisper, her smile so genuine. My eyes close as I think. The warmth of her hands penetrating my whole being.

'Probably let the Amazons know I'm alive.' I mumble into her palm. Her thumb traces across my lips.

'Come on, let's find some shelter first. Tomorrow, we can worry about everything else.' She bows her head down towards me, trying to look me in the eyes. I smile and nod, then follow her up the sandy beach.

For some reason I don't feel the need to question what happened, or even where we are. Those thoughts are sort of on the very fringes of my consciousness, something that I only barely register. Solan saw something in us that even we couldn't see. The love we feel for each other, the fact that we sacrifice everything for the other. He gave us a gift I'm not sure we can ever pay back. We walk into the trees that line the beach edge, moving as if we know exactly where to go. We walk for a little while until we come to a clearing.

'Look.' Xena says, jerking her head in the direction of a small hut. She stops, putting her finger to her lips and we stand, silently listening. Shaking her head at me, telling me she hears nothing untoward, she crouches and moves slowly towards the mysterious hut. I wait at the edge of the clearing, watching her progress in the dimming sunlight. The storm is moving in quickly. The tree's begin their dance, welcoming the wind with open arms, wishing to praise the weather Gods.

Xena is already striding back towards me, back straight with no sign of worry marring her features.

'I think this is for us.' She says simply.

'What?'

'Come look.' There's a complete calm about her that's so unusual I almost don't follow. 'Trust me.' With those words the doubt fades away and we race to the hut as the rain begins to fall.

As I step through the doorway, I notice a few things at once. There's already a fire going, with meat cooking over it on a spit. Xena's weapons are neatly laid out on a small table. There is a tub filled with steaming water, and furs and pillows laid out to sleep on.

'What is this Xena?'

'I was wondering the same thing.' She walks over to the table and fingers her weapons.

'Should we stay here, is it a trap?' Usually I'm not the overly cautious one, but after everything we've just been through…. She walks back over to me, taking my hands in hers.

'I think Solan wanted us to figure things out, knew we would need this. You mean everything to me Gabrielle. I just got so lost…..' I watch as she struggles to find the words. This woman, this warrior is at her most vulnerable, and she is doing her best to share it with me.

'Come on.' I grab her hand this time, leading her to the steaming tub. I help her undress and guide her into the hot water. A sigh escapes her lips, and her eyes close as relief washes through her body.

I begin to wash her in an almost a ritualistic fashion. As if this is the final step to wash away the past. This is me forgiving her and leaving her soul clean. But really it's so much more than that. And when she's done, she performs the same ritual on me. We don't need to communicate any of this in words. We just know.

As I step out of the tub, she wraps a blanket around my shoulders. We walk over to the furs and pillows and Xena sits against the wall, a blanket around her shoulders. She pulls me down between her legs, and I lean back against her as her arms and blanket enfold me.

'Comfortable?' She asks as she rests her chin on my shoulder.

'More comfortable than I've been in a long time.' Silence surrounds once again as we stare into the flames that jump and crackle. Time eases by us and we take no notice of it. I look down at some point and find her hand over mine, fingers laced. I never even noticed the movement. Letting my eyes drift closed, my head falls back into her shoulder. Her hot breath is slow and steady against the nape of my neck. The feeling almost tickles and I can't help but smile.

'Gabrielle. ' She mutters. I don't answer as I'm finding myself lost in her embrace. 'Gabrielle.' This time her cool lips are against my skin. Sparks race down my body, and still, I do not respond. 'Gabrielle.' She whispers as if uttering a God's name. Her tongue hot against my neck. 'Gabrielle.' Teeth grazing my flesh. 'Gabrielle.' Soft kisses up my jaw.

'Xena.' I finally manage to whisper and that is all she needs. Tentative lips touch mine in short, questioning pecks. When I offer no resistance her lips begin to linger longer and longer. Her hand slides up my neck.

I find my body reacting without thought from my brain, and frankly now is not a time for thinking. My blanket drops from my shoulders as I turn in her arms. Our skin melds together in a delicious sensation of warmth. My legs wrap around her waist for lack of anywhere else to go, and the effect of our bodies being so intimately close finds us both gasping in shock.

Finally our eyes meet as we silently contemplate the situation we've put ourselves in. My forehead rests against hers as my eyes lock on her lips. Is there a question there waiting on the tip of her tongue? We are lost in this moment, breath mingling as our mouths draw closer and closer.

'Is this real?' She questions. I can't help the laugh that escapes me.

'I feel like I should be asking that.' I whisper against her lips and wrap my arms around her neck.

'Even if this isn't, I would still die happy. ' She confesses.

'How about we stay alive for awhile.' My smile fades into her searching kiss. Her teeth nip at my lips, her tongue flicks playfully across them. Fingertips trace their way across my cheek then to my lips where she seems focused. I can hear her swallow as her breath seems to hitch in her throat. I watch her tongue sweep across her lips as if she's just found the most delicious thing in Greece.

'God's.' She whispers and seems lost for words.

'No Gods here.' I smile. Finally her eyes lift from my mouth and the depth within is enough to make me gasp. She sweeps an arrant hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. This simple act elicits sensations deep within my soul that races through my body.

Our mouths meet again in a kiss that is soft at first, but as the fire within grows, so does our need. My fingers curl into her dark hair, the desire to melt into her overwhelming my senses.

She begins to place wandering kisses down my jaw to the base of my throat where her tongue draws circles on my skin. Pulling her closer, I can't help the moan that escapes my abandoned lips. Her hands slide up my sides till each hand rests over my breasts. Her tongue making a slow journey down between them.

My body arches into her touch. Had I known this little bit of closeness would feel like Elaysia, I would have done something sooner.

The sudden sensation of her hot mouth covering my nipple causes me to curse her name. I can feel her smiling against my skin as she sucks and flicks her tongue across the sensitive nipple she seems to have attached herself too. Her nails rake back down my ribs to my thighs and back to my ass.

In a quick movement, I find myself on my back with Xena propped above me. Her dark hair falling around her face like a waterfall as her eyes glisten with lust. My heart is racing in my chest as her body slides along mine.

'Now's the time to stop me.' Her lips are against my ear. There is no question for me, no doubt about her place in my life. This is only a natural progression of our relationship.

'We are meant to be.' I finish my thought out loud, then become lost to the sensations that she bestows upon me.


End file.
